Well we have started laying track on our garage layout. First up is our lower level staging yard. pretty much nothing but a place for us to store full trains until we are ready to run them. Once we are finished with that we will begin on our point to point and main line. My question is this, we have a few of the longer box cars and such and are unsure as to what radius curves to use to keep them from binding. What are your suggestions?
O, HO, N?
Are you storing full trains on tracks on concentric curves (same center, gradually widening radii?) If so, and you are referring to full-length passenger cars and 89 foot humonguboxes, the absolute minimum radius should be 24 inches and there should be at least 2.5 inches between curves. If you also have ‘real’ semiarticulateds (Big Boy and his siblings) 2.5 inches might not be enough.
To be absolutely sure, lay a couple of lengths of flex and test your actual clearances. That way you can be confident that there won’t be any unpleasant surprises in the netherworld once the rest of the railroad is in operation.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
HO scale. Modern era. 89’ High Cube box cars and the like. These would be for our main line and possibly one or two sidings
I wouldn’t go less than 24" with 89’ers. Even bigger if you can.[2c](and #6 or larger turnouts)
Just curious how you knew what size to build your bench work if you didn’t know what size curves you would be using?
Large shelves were already around the walls, just lowered them to a comforatable height. Gues I got lucky buying a house where the previous owner ran a auto repair shop out back. May have to do a little tweeking here and there but for the most part these shelves seem to be working good for the staging yard so far